


i'm begging you please (don't take that sinner from me)

by itbelynx



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), UnDeadwood (Web Series)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, anyways i love my cowboys, post-canon AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23356351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itbelynx/pseuds/itbelynx
Summary: post canon au where sharpe lives and he and reverend mason are in an established relationship. someone tries to get between that, and it'll be a miracle if they all end up alive.
Relationships: Reverend Matthew Mason/Clayton Sharpe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	i'm begging you please (don't take that sinner from me)

**Author's Note:**

> just want to preface this with i love clayson and i will never forgive mr fogg for taking clayton from me in canon, so i wrote this bc i could.

The moon shone high in the night sky. The noises from the various bars could be heard. Reverend Matthew Mason walked down the road, having spent the afternoon and early evening holed up in the church. He made his way down to the Jim Saloon, where he knew the others were waiting for him. Other bars were full of song and cheer. As he walked into the saloon, he noticed Ms. Miriam and Mrs. Whitlock sitting at a table more towards the back. 

“Reverend! We were wondering when you were gonna join us! We saved you some whiskey,” Miriam said, gently shaking a half empty bottle. 

He smiled sheepishly as he walked over and took a seat. “Where’s-”

“Mr. Fogg is occupied,” Arabella winked and nodded upstairs. 

Matthew chuckled softly. Oh, that Mr. Fogg. 

“What about Mr. Sharpe? Will he be joining us this evening?” Miriam asked. 

He opened his mouth to say something when he realized he hadn’t seen Clayton. “I don’t know. I thought he’d be here with y’all. We had lunch together, but I had some work to do on the church and I know he ain’t much of the religious type, so he went off to do something else.” He looked around the place to see if perhaps his other half had walked in, but had no luck. “Hopefully he’ll join us after a while.” 

“We hope so, too.” 

“Well, let’s drink and play cards in his absence, yes?” Arabella began to shuffle a new round. She dealt to everyone, though she didn’t deal Fogg a new round. It must have been recent that he had disappeared. 

They played a few rounds, Matthew losing some rounds as luck never appeared to be on his side during a game of cards. After the fourth or fifth round of losing, he slammed his cards on the table in defeat. “Dammit. You ladies have a way with cards I will never understand.” 

“That’s alright, Reverend. There’s other things that we both know a great deal about,” Miriam winked from behind her cards, causing him to blush and give a sheepish grin. 

He and Clayton had been dating only a few months, but that knowledge had not gone beyond these five folk, mostly for protection. People were chasing after both men, and if they caught wind about either’s other half, then that knowledge would be used against them in dangerous ways. So, they kept it quiet. 

The door opened upstairs and Aly walked out. He was mostly dressed, just finishing putting on his shirt and buttoning it back up as he headed downstairs. He gave a wave over to their table. 

“Mr. Fogg. I assume you enjoyed your time?” 

“I did indeed. Everyone needs their kicks in, don’t you think Rev?” 

Matthew’s blush darkened as he brought his glass. His friends sure did love to tease him. But it didn’t bother him too much, beyond just embarrassing him a great deal. He never expected to find love after the war, and especially not here in Deadwood, but he was thankful to the Lord every day that he and his beloved were together. 

Suddenly, Johnny came rushing into the bar, looking right scared. His face was pale and he was sweating and breathing heavy. “Reverend!” He exclaimed. “Reverend, they got ‘im! They got Mr. Sharpe!” 

All four of them stood up and looked over with great concern. 

“Who? Who’s got him?” Miriam asked. 

“Bandits! A group of bandits. Didn’t tell me their names, just that they was gonna kill Mr. Sharpe. I know Mr. Sharpe usually runs with y’all, so I figured I’d come get you. Y’all are really our line of defense.”

Matthew took one look at the rest of them and nodded. “Where are they? Did they want anything?”

“No, no. They’re at the church. Said they was gonna kill Mr. Sharpe, as a lesson.”

“Oh fuck no.” Matthew was out the door immediately. No one was going to kill his man, and especially no one was going to kill anyone at his church. Behind him, he heard the footsteps of the other three. 

As they walked, other townsfolk ran by, trying to run for cover and safety. Matthew readied the shotgun that sat across his back. He heard the ladies behind him also cock their guns as they walked. Once nearer to the church, he began to make out figures standing on the porch of the church. 

There were three men all standing on the church steps, and one that was kneeling. Upon closer inspection, he saw that this was Clayton. He was tied up, and it looked like there was blood coming from his temple. His mouth was tied shut. This enraged Matthew. 

“Reverend, this don’t concern you,” one of the bandits called out. He wore all black and a red bandana was pulled down, showing a well kept goatee and green eyes. 

“You’re standing on the steps of my church, boys, so I say it  _ does _ concern me.” 

“We don’t wanna kill no Reverend,” another of them said. “Or any lady friends he might have.”

“You boys best leave. You don’t know who you’re messing with and we’d hate to get our dresses dirty,” Arabella snarled. 

“We ain’t goin’ nowhere,” the one with the red bandana said. “Mr. Kinsley here is the main one we want. He caused quite the ruckus back in our town. He ever told you he killed a man? ‘Cause he did. Killed a man in cold blood. We’re here to make him pay.”

“That’s not true!” Miriam exclaimed. “He’s a good man! He ain’t ever killed a man that didn’t try and kill him first!”

“Be that as it may, a man still has to pay. Murder’s still murder.” 

“You wanna kill a man, kill me,” Matthew spoke up, stepping forward. “I was in the Calverie, killed some men and was chased out. I’m a wanted man, a murderer. Kill me.”

Clayton struggled against his bindings, yelled against the wrappings around his mouth. The man next to him kicked him in the stomach and he let out a muffled yell of pain. He glared up at the man before looking back to Matthew, shaking his head, pleading with his eyes. 

The other men seemed to be waiting for orders from the man in the red bandana, who eyed Clayton, then Matthew and all of Matthew’s friends. He walked around the back of Clayton, let out a huff of laughter, then cocked his gun and aimed it at Clayton’s back. “Fuck it.” 

_ BANG!  _

“NO!” Matthew pulled out his shotgun and fired immediately at the man in the red bandana. 

A battle ensued. Clayton was indisposed, but the rest of them were fine and dandy. It was hard fought, them all getting nicked a few times. Matthew got shot in the arm but he pushed through it. Nothing would keep him from Clayton. After a few minutes, Matthew finally put an end to the man in the red bandana, the other men who survived the firefight running off on their horses. He ran up to the church steps and pulled Clayton into his lap. 

“Clayton, you with me?” 

The man looked up at him, a bit loopy but still alive. “Matthew… are we dead?”

“No, we’re alive. I promise. You gotta stay awake, though, okay?” He pressed his hands to the wound. “Arabella!” He yelled over his shoulder, though his eyes did not leave his beloved. 

“I’ll be okay, Matthew… I’ve got you, don’t I?” He said, eyes not totally on focusing on him. 

“Stay with me, Clayton,” Matthew said. He looked up at the sky. “Lord, Dealer, whoever you are, please. Do not take him from me. He’s a good man. You’ve blessed me with his life and his love, please let me keep it. Please don’t take him from me. I can’t do this without him. I have become a better man with him in my life, and I know I’ve made him a better man. Please,” he choked as tears streamed down his face, looking back down at the face of Clayton, “don’t take him from me… I love him…” 

There was a moment of quiet as Arabella and Miriam stepped forward, both gasping. Clayton’s eyes had closed, and his breathing had slowed. They all were basically frozen in time, the three of them there crying as Fogg came walking up, having been of better use far away. The wind blew through, causing their clothing to blow. In the wind, it seemed that there was a hum being carried on the wind. The hum sounded almost like a church hymn. 

A light appeared at Clayton’s wound, causing him to gasp and his eyes to shoot open. The light shined even brighter, and before going dark. Then, Clayton was sitting here, completely healed, leaving everyone in stunned silence for a moment before he turned back to Matthew. They embraced each other in a hug. 

“I thought I lost you,” Matthew said softly. 

“Takes a little more than that to kill me.”

They stood up and began moving the bodies inside the church, so as to deal with them in the morning. Then, they all broke up for the night, letting Matthew and Clayton make their way up to the Reverend’s room. Once inside, Matthew pushed Clayton up against the closed door and began kissing him in fever. 

“Don’t you,” kiss, “ _ ever _ ” kiss “do that to me again.” 

“I’m sorry, Matthew. I’m so sorry. I was trying to surprise you with a new coat, but the fucking pieces of shit jumped me while I was getting the pieces together. I thought I could take care of it, but one of ‘em came up behind me and knocked me out. Next thing I knew, I was on the steps of the church looking down at you trying to offer yourself in my place.” He looked at him incredulously. “You’re far too important to be offering yourself for me. I’m a terrible, terrible man, but you are a beacon of light and hope. Please don’t ever do that again.”

“As long as you promise not to let yourselves into bad situations such as this again.” 

“Okay, I promise.” 

They kissed again and pushed each other towards the bed to continue their escapades. 


End file.
